


Still my big baby

by antidons (Pogniscrow)



Series: Married with child and Jaemin [2]
Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: Domestic, Dotae renew their vows, Fluff, M/M, SO MUCH FLUFF, family fic, jaemin can tie a tie, mark can, neither can taeyong, side markhyuck
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-18
Updated: 2018-11-18
Packaged: 2019-08-25 10:35:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,811
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16659580
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Pogniscrow/pseuds/antidons
Summary: Doyoung tries to not control everything, while Taeyong faces his greatest enemy: The Double Windsor Knot. Good thing they have two very competent sons to help them along the way (not really).





	Still my big baby

_Doyoung looked at himself in the mirror, eyes probing for a hair out place, a strand of lint still dusting his coat jacket, anything that would make him look less than perfect. Today is a special day; today he would be marrying the love of his life._

 

_From behind him he can see Sicheng scanning the upholstery of the couch he’s sitting on, eyes bored and listless as he waits for Doyoung to finish. Deeming himself ready and clean of any imperfection he rises from his seat and turns from the bright lights of the vanity mirror to his best friend._

 

_“So, what do you think?”_

 

_Sicheng doesn’t budge, his eyes merely scanning the full height of the other man before looking at the fabric he’s sitting on again._

 

_He gives a less than enthusiastic thumbs up._

 

_“You’re no help. If you’re just going to sulk there and be miserable might as well switch with Yuta.”_

 

_Sicheng sulks, “This is the third do-over you’ve done. You’ve looked the same every single time. You don’t even trust my opinion, not when you’ve secretly delegated Johnny and Jaehyun to reassure you that I’m not blind.” He says rising from his position on the couch to shove Doyoung out into the en-suite where Yuta and Johnny are waiting for him._

 

_“Look, boys, the groom is ready for his big day,” Sicheng says edging a very whiny and reluctant Doyoung into the living area, “Doesn’t he look amazing? The ten thousand pieces of lint he hand-picked off his suit would agree with me.”_

 

_Jaehyun and Johnny laugh and stand to give Doyoung a good once over. The response is immediate, with Johnny pinching him on the cheek and Jaehyun almost ruffling his hair. Thankfully, Doyoung is inconveniently neurotic, so his head is out of Yuta ’s reach before he can even try to mess it up._

 

_“Do you finally believe me?” Sicheng whines again._

 

_Doyoung surveys the room, particularly at Johnny and Jaehyun’s matching smiles and nods._

 

_“I think I’m ready to go.”_

 

* * *

 

 

“Do you believe me now, dad?” Mark moans for the seventh time in ten minutes. From the corner of his eye, he sees Donghyuck snickering at his boyfriend as Mark assures his father for the seventh time that, yes his tie is in the exact length he wants it.

 

“One more check, bub. For my peace of mind.”

 

Mark all but sobs as he reaches for the tape measure again, “how about my peace of mind,” he groans as he goes into rule his dad’s tie once again.

 

Donghyuck, having seen his boyfriend suffer enough at the hands of his neurotic father stands from his position and snatches the tape measure off Mark’s hands.

 

“Go check with dad and Jaemin. They’ll need your help more than me.”

 

Mark all but sprints out the door as soon as he’s given permission, leaving Donghyuck and Doyoung to laugh at how much he wanted out.

 

Doyoung looks over at the teenager and nudges him over. Donghyuck and Mark have been together for a year now, and Donghyuck has fully integrated himself into the family, even becoming a kind of older brother to Jaemin whenever Mark was too annoyed to be bothered. It’s come to the point that both Doyoung and Taeyong have begun referring to him as Hyuck-in-law whenever he drops by the house.

 

Donghyuck measures the tie one more time before rising and giving it a little nudge, “There, two and a half inches from the top of your belt buckle, just as you like.”

 

Doyoung turns to the mirror and finds the gnawing discomfort immediately lift as he gazes at the perfectly lengthened tie, “Thank god you’re better than Mark with these types of things, it’ll help him when you two finall--”

 

Doyoung stops himself before he can utter the words, but from the deep crimson blush painting Donghyuck’s plump cheeks, it’s evident that he’s caught on to what Doyoung meant.

 

“I’m sorry,” he murmurs as he sets down to put some final dabs on his face, “I don’t want you and him to get any ideas about that sort of thing, you’re still so young.”

 

Donghyuck shakes his head, “Do you really think?” he murmurs as he sits beside Doyoung by the vanity mirror, “do you really think that Mark and I would last that long?”

 

Doyoung laughs. The only person he knows better than his two sons is Taeyong. He knows how deadset Mark is with his boyfriend. If only Donghyuck knew how long he and Mark talked about him, (even bringing up the possibility of a nuptial in the very distant future) any doubt would be cast out of his mind of how long Mark thinks they'd last. His eldest son may have inherited his other dad’s free spirit, but he still carries within him a steadiness that is distinctly Doyoung. Mark is open to many things and many possibilities, but once he’s set his goals on something, there’s not much that can deter him from making it a reality.

 

“I expect you to last longer.”

 

Donghyuck blushes, unabashed

 

“When did you realize?” Donghyuck asks sweetly, “That Taeyong was the one.”

 

“I didn’t, my mom did it for me.”

 

Donghyuck doesn’t even flinch at the confession. Everyone knew that Doyoung has a way of ignoring the evidently obvious while noticing the most heinously obscure. It seems fitting that the same principle applies to realize who he was to spend the rest of his life with.

 

“It’s when Gongmyung got the Christmas card.”

 

Donghyuck knows about the annual Kim Christmas card, he gets one every year. The politics that surrounds the card he also vaguely understands. Every year, during the Kim’s Christmas gathering, the matriarch of the family calls each of them to sit in a spot for the Christmas card. She chooses slowly and deliberately. Each position held a certain standing in the hierarchy of the Kim family. It was impossibly medieval and an annual stress Donghyuck never wanted to go through. Hence all the declined invitations to meet the extended family.

 

Mark never took it to heart and Doyoung always reassured him that it was okay not show up, although the invitation was still open. Taeyong told him to enjoy the years he had left before he was obliged to attend.

 

So yes, Donghyuck knew that the Christmas card was a _thing._

 

 _“_ As you know, my mom always chooses who gets the venerable seat on the throne. I never thought of it much back then, mostly because I was always the first one called, but my brother, who had been dating Hyesung for ages was the awfully keen about it.”

 

Doyoung was always ambivalent to his family affairs, as these always involved some posh gathering with a hundred subtle connotations embedded with each micromovement of the finger. Doyoung being Doyoung readily picked up on the subtleties, thus knew how to act around his extended family. However, the more obvious connotations, like the Christmas card was all but gone on him.

 

“Gongmyung and Hyesung were away in Japan during Christmas so he couldn’t attend. When he got the card, he ringed me immediately asked when I eloped with Tayong.

 

“Why would he think that?”

 

“Hyesung was only allowed into the card after she married hyung,” Doyoung says with a laugh, “Hyung had to explain to me that the Christmas card had a special rule when it came to those marrying into the family.”

 

Donghyuck’s eyes quirked at the revelation, “What does it mean.”

 

“If you don’t get into the picture, you did not have the family’s blessing,” Doyoung says matter of factly, “At that time Taeyong and I were dating for about 2 years.”

 

“It just made sense when hyung explained. When your boyfriend of two years gets the go signal to marry into the family when you never had that intention, it should feel odd, but it just felt like the right move.”

 

“I proposed to him a week after. The rest is history.”

 

Donghyuck laughs, “Maybe I can attend this year, try to break Taeyong’s record.”

 

Doyoung snickers, his eyes warm as he looked at the boy his son loved with the ferocity of twenty suns, “With the way Mark talks about you, I’m inclined to think so too.”

 

Donghyuck stands, “Are you ready to meet the love of your life?”

 

* * *

 

 

“ _I have a question,” Yuta says in the elevator as he, Taeyong and Taeil head for the venue._

 

_“When did you realize Doyoung was the one?”_

 

_Taeyong smirks, “Well, I found out while I was taking a huge dump.”_

 

_Taeil looks at him disapprovingly, more so for the delivery, however, his eyes remain undaunted. This is Lee Taeyong, revelations like this are part of the package._

 

_“To be fair, it was after I tested my mettle against Thai curry and barbacoa at the same time.”_

 

_Yuta honestly wants to run away, seriously considering climbing up the elevator chute._

 

_“I was just there on the toilet bowl crying and shitting my way through curry and barbacoa when this angel sent down from heaven just comes with a warm washcloth and wipes my face like it was the most normal thing in the world,” Taeyong says as he presses the button to the ground floor._

 

_“You figure he was the one because he washed your face off while you were taking a crap?”_

 

_Taeyong shakes his head, a slight giggle escaping his lips, “I knew because he smiled at me the entire time,” Taeyong says wistfully._

 

* * *

 

 

“Dad, I don’t think that’s the right way to tie your tie,” Jaemin says as he tries to google the proper way to do a double Windsor like Doyoung taught him. Even after explicitly telling Jaemin to not forget because Taeyong was incapable of doing it, Jaemin forgets. He blames Doyoung for expecting so much of him. He had a hard time figuring out how to do his bowties, much less his dad’s tie. But here they were, two idiots with the dexterity of a thumbless infant trying--and stupendously failing--at completing a double Windsor knot for the better part of half an hour.

 

“Jaemin, why didn’t you remember how to do it?”

 

“Because I forgot. I was preoccupied with other things.”

 

(Other things being the marble floor of the hotel lobby.)

 

“Better questions, why can’t you do it?” Jaemin bites back as he averts his eyes from the detailed instructions from wikihow, because even visual aid was giving him a headache at this point, “You wear ties, like, all the time,” Jaemin whines as he tries (eventually failing) to arrange the godforsaken knot his father asked him to perfect.

 

Taeyong flushes at the statement and goes to meddle with the strip of satin that Doyoung had handpicked for the occasion. His husband had given him a choice of a bowtie or a standard tie. Taeyong, of course, chose the tie because he had at least came into contact with it at some point in his life. Bowties were a whole new ballgame, one that Taeyong had no intention of trying to learn. He thought that maybe, with some instruction, perfecting the double Windsor would be a possibility. But now he’s regretting even deciding to wear this accursed throat trap. He should have told Doyoung to complete their vows in the nude. Save them all the hassle of tying and tightening to precise measurements that only Doyoung would ever have the neurosis to decide.

 

“Your dad does it for me.”

 

Jaemin just gawks at him, “You mean to tell me for the 18 years of my life on this earth, every time I saw you out and about with a tie was dad’s doing. That’s 18 years dad. Almost two decades.”

 

“It’s a sensitive topic,” Taeyong murmurs, “And don’t talk to your father that way, it’s disrespectful.

 

“It’s only disrespectful because I’m right.”

 

Taeyong does the mature thing and sticks his tongue at him. Jaemin rolls his eyes and tries again to complete the double Windsor knot.

 

“You know how you always say that dad never spoils me or hyung,” Jaemin says while incorrectly tying the wide end, “I just figured out the reason for it,” his youngest son murmurs as he gets the knot wrong again.

 

“And what would that be, my genius son?”

 

“He can’t even do it to us because he’s too busy spoiling you.”

 

Taeyong doesn’t even feel embarrassed. Doyoung was never the sweetest person when they first started dating. That was always Taeyong’s job. It was only when Mark came into their lives did Doyoung discover the wonders of a midnight cuddle. However, Doyoung always made up for it with the things he did, the little things that made Taeyong fall deeper and deeper in love with him.

 

From the way, he made Taeyong breakfast when he was having a particularly bad week. From the way, he always held Taeyong’s hand whenever he sensed the tension building in Taeyong’s gut. From the way, he places one chaste kiss on Taeyong’s lips each time he finishes doing a perfect double Windsor.

 

Doyoung spoke in the language of action. In small gestures that, when strung together, paint a tapestry of patience, understanding and overwhelming love. Taeyong had the faintest feeling of triumph that even to their children Doyoung did not extend the same amount of unfaltering love. Maybe it will always be different finding the one person in your life you feel the safest around.

 

Jaemin continues grumbling about knots and the stupidity of life itself when the door creaks open revealing Mark.

 

Taeyong looks at him questioningly, “Why are you here?”

 

Mark observes the situation and shakes his head, “Dad said you two would need reinforcements,” he says approaching the two, “And by the looks of it, he was right.”

 

Jaemin all but scoffs at the accusation, “I have you know that I have everything under control.”

 

His brother looks at him disbelievingly, his eyes staring at the mangled state of their father’s tie. Jaemin rolls his eyes, “I had some fun with it. I’ve got things under control.”

 

Taeyong doesn’t even feign their situation, “Son, please help out your dad.”

 

Mark smiles triumphantly as Jaemin stalks to the couch, “I can’t believe dad didn’t trust me enough to do this. I feel disrespected.”

 

“He _was_ right,” Mark says successfully finishing the double Windsor without much fuss, “You know how neurotic he gets.”

 

Taeyong nods in approval as he looks at the fit of the tie on the mirror, “Thank god you know how to listen to your dad.”

 

“So, you ready to go?” Mark asks looking at his dad.

 

Taeyong smiles to his reflection, “Always have been.”

 

* * *

 

 

_Sicheng walks beside Doyoung as they make their way to the gardens. Taeyong would walk down first, and he would follow. The two of them coming from separate doors._

 

_“Are you feeling any jitters?” Sicheng asks as they settle by the ante-room._

 

_Doyoung shakes his head. Many things were going through his head, nervousness and apprehension were not there. He couldn’t bring himself to feel that, to feel like things would go wrong. If it were Taeyong, everything would turn out okay. Because he was Doyoung’s strength in the storm. The beacon in the dark. The constant reminder that he was loved._

 

_Doyoung usually worries about even the most minuscule of worries, but when it comes to Taeyong, all that disappears. All the pressure that weighs on his heart, replaced by the kind warmth of reassurance and patience._

 

_“I’m just happy.”_

 

_Sicheng smiles as he wraps Doyoung in a tender hug, “I’m happy for you too. He makes you better, I’m so glad you found him.”_

 

_“So, I assume you’re ready for this” Yuta asks as he looks at Taeyong hum to himself._

 

* * *

 

 

_Taeyong flashes Yuta a brilliant smile in response, his eyes twinkling with the so much purity and happiness that it was almost blinding._

 

_“I’m marrying the love of my life, why wouldn’t be happy?”_

 

_Yuta shakes his head, and proceeds to fix Taeyong’s tie, “You know Doyoung had to tell me in exact detail how to tie your tie,” he says, “Told me if I fuck anything up for his baby I’d taste the full wrath of a grand piano to the face.”_

 

_Taeyong coos, “God he’s so sweet.”_

 

_Yuta chuckles at that, and gives his friend a final look over, “I guess amongst all the fucking dumb things you do, you’d have at least two good decisions in your life.”_

 

_Taeyong nods, “I’d rather make all the stupid decision as long as I have him with me.” Yuta gives him a final sweep on the shoulders and puts his arm around the groom, “Let’s get you all wedded up.”_

 

* * *

 

 

When Taeyong walks down the aisle for the second time in his life, he sees a lot of things. He sees his mom and sister sitting by the front, their smiles infectious and proud. He sees Johnny and Jaehyun speaking in hushed tones near the middle of the rows. He sees Jaemin smile at his friends at the back. He sees Donghyuck smile proudly at Mark by the front. He sees all the people smiling at him, happy to see him happy.

 

But on his second journey, much like his first, he only commits one face to memory. The first time it was Doyoung walking down the aisle, the second is Doyoung waiting for him by with the altar. He looks every bit as dashing as he did all those years ago. Eyes still clear, as black as night and as bright as the stars. His smile wide, gums peeking out.

 

Taeyong smiles as he marches up, with Jaemin escorting him down the aisle.

 

“You two are disgusting,” he says observing the way his fathers are looking at each other. Taeyong doesn’t even flinch at the words, “I love your father so much, I can’t believe after two decades, I’m still crazy over him.”

 

Jaemin smiles despite himself, “You guys deserve each other. You’re both disgusting.” Taeyong just laughs as Doyoung sends his youngest son a pointed glare as if he already knew what he was saying.

 

“God, dad really has a sixth sense when it comes to bad mouthing him,” Jaemin murmurs as Taeyong continue to giggle, “It’s because he loves you. He makes it a point to understand you inside and out, and he’s got you all figured out bub.” Jaemin rolls his eyes as they reach the front. Taeyong untangles himself from his son before placing a peck on his forehead and ruffling his hair, “Thanks, bub.”

 

“Yeah whatever,” is the last thing Jaemin says before he’s hurriedly walking to Taeyong’s side of the altar. Taeyong walks up and stands by his husband, who greets him by interlocking their hands. The presider begins reading through the proceedings, his voice lost to Taeyong, as he stares lovingly at Doyoung.

 

He only faintly hears the officiant say, “If anyone has any objections, speak now or forever hold your peace.”

What does ring resoundingly in his ear is the very loud, very clear bellow of “WAIT!” from his husband’s mouth.

 

The audience is shocked into silence, even Mark had his jaw opened at the sudden interruption. Taeyong, confused and unbelieving, looks to Doyoung and finds his face screwed up in worry.

 

“What?”

 

Doyoung registers Taeyong’s questions, also looking like he had just come out from a haze, he looks around the shocked audience and the equally perplexed officiator, as well as his confused-about-everything husband who he had already conferred his entire life to.

 

It slowly dawns on Doyong that he had voiced his concern at the most inconvenient time. He starts waving his hands frantically at the silent witnesses, “Not what you’re thinking!”

 

Taeyong is equally confused and unresponsive to his husband’s ministrations. Only when Doyoung reached out and placed his hand on the thin strip on fabric does it dawn on him why his husband had the sudden urge to halt all proceedings.

 

“It’s not two and a half inches above the belt buckle, is it?” Taeyong asks smiling at his husband’s sorry expression. Doyoung responds with a shy nod as he gently unties the knot. He then looks to the audience, “I’ll just skip to the vows,” to which he receives a collective sigh of relief in response.

 

Once the tie is untangled, Doyoung starts to speak, “I gave up on teaching you how to do your tie about a decade ago, you never seem to learn it from me. You’re always too busy staring at my lips.”

 

Taeyong blushes crimson as Jaemin gags behind him.

 

“God dad, that’s gross.”

 

Doyoung continues, unbothered, “I tried different methods of doing things, but time and time again you would forget. Until I saw you sprawled on the couch one night, with your tie undone. I realized at that moment there are things that we can’t change about other people. Things that we learn to accept. Things we learn to love.”

 

The tie is almost complete, the know finished. Doyoung begins adjusting the length of the tie as he continues speaking, “I stopped trying to teach you because each day when I finish your tie, you always look at me like I’ve given you the world. You smile at me like I’ve given you my heart all over again. It was then that I realized that I can give this to you every single day for the rest of my life because seeing you loved is the most beautiful thing in the world. Seeing you love being loved by me has made me happy for over twenty years, and it will make me happier for twenty more decades,” he says as he tucks in the tie perfectly.

 

Taeyong smiles as he takes Doyoung’s hands in his, “I don’t have a lot to say. Only that you’ve kept me at the best me for twenty years. Every day I’m so grateful for your existence. You, my pillar in the storm, the father of my children, the love of my life. Thank you for everything. I love you so much.”

 

A single tear runs down Taeyong’s face as he finishes. He looks up at Doyoung and notices that his eyes are damp as well. He reaches out and touches his lips, soft and as supple as when they were still teens trying to figure out their place in the world. Still trying to learn how to be together, to love beautifully.

 

“We’ve come so far my love,” Doyoung says as he leans forward.

 

“Yet we still have so far to go,” Taeyong murmurs in response, “Will you take it with me?”

 

Doyoung surges forward and captures Taeyong’s lips in his own. A kiss for forever.

 

Faintly from behind him, he hears the distinct voice of his youngest son go, “Ew.”

 

**Author's Note:**

> This is just unadulterated fluff. The picture from today just gave me the energy to finish this stupid thing. God dotae lives and so do I.
> 
> For violent reactions, you may reach me on [twitter](https://twitter.com/doyoungsupreme) or [curious cat](https://curiouscat.me/doyoungsupreme).
> 
> As always, kudos and comments keep me alive. Thanks


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